Today, Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in urban India. The reason behind this trend seems to be the rapid transition to urban lifestyles. Sedentary lifestyle, less exercise, fat rich food and pollution leads to early onset menarche and increase chances of developing breast cancer. Women are either unaware of what the lump means or fear the stigma of rejection by their partner and community. The prevalence of social taboos, poor breast cancer screening practices and lack of awareness further leads to late diagnosis of the disease.
What is Breast Cancer – Breast cancer begins when healthy cells in the breast change and grow out of control, forming a mass of cells called a tumor. A tumor can be malignant or benign.
Benign tumors- Breast tumors, which can grow but will not spread to the other parts of the body, are known as benign tumors. Example – Fibroadenoma - It is a painless mass usually found in young women. It remains confined to breast and do not spread to nodes or other parts of the body.
Malignant tumors- These are known as breast cancer. They can grow and spread to nodes and other parts of the body, like Lungs, Liver and Brain.
Risk factors for the development of breast cancer are:-
Age – As the age increases, it increase the chances of development of breast cancer.
Excessive exposure to estrogens (estrogen only contraceptive pill or hormone replacement therapy)
Early menarche (<10years) and Late menopause (>55 years)
Nulliparity – Not giving birth to a child
Late first pregnancy (>35 years of age at first pregnancy)
A sedentary lifestyle, obesity
Heavy drinking
Women whose mother, sister or daughter has or had breast cancer may have double the risk.
Women with a brother, father or son who has or had breast cancer also have a higher risk, as do women with a first-degree relative or multiple relatives who have or had ovarian cancer.
Women who have inherited mutations in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene are at higher risk
Early Signs of breast cancer :-
l A lump or thickening in or near the breast or in the underarm area.
l A recent change in the size or shape of the breast.
l A dimple or puckering in the skin of the breast.
l A nipple turned inward /new changes in the nipple.
l Fluid, other than breast milk, from the nipple, especially if it's bloody.
l Scaly, red, or swollen skin on the breast, nipple, or areola (the dark area of skin around the nipple).
l Dimples in the breast that looks like the skin of an orange, called peau d’orange.
If any such changes are noted, don’t be afraid-the chances of finding a breast cancer are still less than 2 out of 10 patients. Rest of 8 patients will have other conditions. So, don’t be afraid and consult your doctor.
Tests done in case of Breast Lump:
l Self breast Examination: To check for lumps or anything else that seems unusual. It is one two to three days after the menstrual periods. To be done once in a month.
l Clinical breast exam (CBE): The doctor will carefully examine the breasts and under the arms for lumps or anything else that seems unusual. It is done once in a year.
l Mammogram: An x-ray of the breast (Mammography).
l Ultrasound of Breast.(if needed)
l MRI-Magnetic resonance imaging (Needed in few patients only)
l FNAC and Biopsy: Important investigation to confirm the diagnosis of cancer and characterize its type. There is a myth that FNAC or biopsy leads o spread of the cancer. This is totally false. FNAC or Biopsy are must to confirm cancer and to find it’s type. This does not lead to spread of any cancer.
TREATMENT
Standard treatments used to treat the breast Cancer are:-
l Surgery
l Radiation therapy
l Chemotherapy
l Hormone therapy
l Targeted therapy
l Immunotherapy
l Breast cancer treatment usually consists of a combination of local and systemic treatments.
l Local treatment (surgery and radiation therapy) - focus on removing or attacking the tumor directly.
l Systemic treatments (chemotherapy, hormone therapy, targeted therapy and immunotherapy) - fight cancer throughout the body
l Most women with breast cancer have surgery to remove a tumor. But the other treatments like Breast Conservation surgery; lumpectomy is also used depending on factors like stage of the cancer and histology.
GENERAL PRACTICES TO LOWER THE RISK OF BREAST CANCER:
Maintain a healthy weight. Balance your food intake with physical activity to avoid excess weight gain.
Be physically active.
Limit or avoid alcohol.
Regular breast examination
One should understand the power of positive thinking and how they affect a person’s physical heath which will be evident in their day-to-day activities
Once you choose hope, anything is possible. So, we’ll be able to contain it, Control it, live with it, but never die from it.
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